Search

Aims/hypothesis We aimed to assess and contextualise 134 potential risk variables for the development of type 2 diabetes and to determine their applicability in risk prediction. Methods A total of 96,534 people without baseline diabetes (372,007 person-years) from the Dutch Lifelines cohort were included. We used a risk variable-wide association study (RV-WAS) design to independently screen and replicate risk variables for 5-year incidence of type 2 diabetes. For identified variables, we contextualised HRs, calculated correlations and assessed their robustness and unique contribution in different clinical contexts using bootstrapped and cross-validated lasso regression models. We evaluated the change in risk, or ‘HR trajectory’, when sequentially assigning variables to a model. Results We identified 63 risk variables, with novel associations for quality-of-life indicators and non-cardiovascular medications (i.e., proton-pump inhibitors, anti-asthmatics). For continuous variables, the increase of 1 SD of HbA1c, i.e., 3.39 mmol/mol (0.31%), was equivalent in risk to an increase of 0.53 mmol/l of glucose, 19.8 cm of waist circumference, 8.34 kg/m2 of BMI, 0.67 mmol/l of HDL-cholesterol, and 0.14 mmol/l of uric acid. Other variables required an increase of >3 SD, which is not physiologically realistic or a rare occurrence in the population. Though moderately correlated, the inclusion of four variables satiated prediction models. Invasive variables, except for glucose and HbA1c, contributed little compared with non-invasive variables. Glucose, HbA1c and family history of diabetes explained a unique part of disease risk. Adding risk variables to a satiated model can impact the HRs of variables already in the model. Conclusions Many variables show weak or inconsistent associations with the development of type 2 diabetes, and only a handful can reliably explain disease risk. Newly discovered risk variables will yield little over established factors, and existing prediction models can be simplified. A systematic, data-driven approach to identify risk variables for the prediction of type 2 diabetes is necessary for the practice of precision medicine. Graphical abstract

L’article porte sur la subordination phrastique et, plus particulièrement, sur les différents types de classement des subordonnées proposés dans les grammaires du français écrites par des auteurs tchèques. L’objectif de l’article est de décrire et d’expliquer les effets de contextualisation qui se manifestent dans ces grammaires. D’abord nous présentons la subordination en tant que phénomène grammatical, ensuite nous rendons compte des critères de classement des propositions subordonnées utilisés dans les grammaires françaises, puis nous relevons les particularités de la tradition grammaticale tchèque pour enfin analyser la manière dont la subordination est traitée dans les grammaires de français conçues par des auteurs tchèques. Nous montrons la manière dont les grammaires tchèques du français reflètent la double influence du discours grammatical français et tchèque à propos de la subordination et nous constatons quelques incompatibilités plus ou moins prononcées. The article deals with subordination and, more particularly, with the different types of classifications of subordinate clauses proposed in French grammar books written by Czech authors. The purpose of the article is to describe and to explain the effects of contextualization in these grammars. First, we present subordination as a grammatical phenomenon, then we report the classification criteria of subordinate clauses used in French grammars and we describe the specificities of the Czech grammatical tradition. Finally, we analyze how subordination is discused in French grammars written by Czech authors. We explain the way Czech French grammars reflect the double influence of French and Czech grammatical discourse on subordination and we point out quite a few incompatibilities.

La parution du vingtième numéro de la revue Contextes et Didactiques marque le quinzième anniversaire de son projet éditorial, initié en 2006/2007 par la revue Recherches et Ressources en Éducation et Formation. Depuis sa création, Contextes et Didactiques a accueilli des travaux de recherche dans les champs des sciences de l’éducation et de la formation, des sciences du langage, de l’anthropologie, de la sociologie, de la psychologie mais aussi appartenant à d’autres champs transdisciplinaires. À l’occasion de ces quinze années de vie éditoriale, la revue a souhaité faire un point sur la situation et les perspectives dans le domaine maintenant bien constitué de la recherche sur les contextes éducatifs, la contextualité des savoirs et la contextualisation didactique. Plus précisément, ce numéro réinterroge ces trois concepts au regard des travaux les plus actuels, en questionnant les relations entre les contextes et la construction des savoirs, des conceptions, des valeurs dans des situations d’enseignement, de formation et d’apprentissage, ce qui s’inscrit au cœur de son projet éditorial.

Background: The shifting identity of a first-year class over a decade in terms of demography and representation, inevitably led me to reflect deeply on what I teach them and how I facilitate the learning process. I had to pay close attention to decolonisation and contextualisation. The basic research question is: How does one reflect on the shifting identity of a first-year class and how does one decolonise a first-year module in Practical Theology and Missiology? Aim: To answer the research question by taking the following route. Firstly, aspects of the changed context and shifting identity will be discussed and secondly, attention will be given to what is meant by decolonisation, with specific reference to the curriculum. Thirdly, the focus will be on a proposed curriculum that uses a theo-dramatic approach. Fourthly, I reflect on the learning process (pedagogy) and how it also contributes to a shift in my own identity. Setting: The research is set against the backdrop of changes that took place over the last two decades in Higher Education in South Africa including the commodification of higher education, the lack of adequate financial resources and the #FeesMustFall movement. Methods: As the research design, a case study is selected for the study project. Results: The development of a new pedagogy. Conclusion: With this contribution I attempted to reflect, in the light of the changing profile of the class composition of a first-year module in Practical Theology and Missiology in terms of demography (BCI students), to what extent it also leads to a shift of identities.

L’article interroge la conception de la lecture littéraire comme « enroulement spiralaire » (Shawky-Milcent, 2014), au regard d’un dispositif à priori éloigné de l’approche du sujet lecteur, en raison de son objet et du guidage qu’il implique. Il s’agit de susciter une relecture de la nouvelle de Maupassant (1885) « La Parure » en classe de quatrième, au regard d’un intertexte juridique. Après avoir posé le cadre théorique de deux composantes de la lecture axiologique, l’article présente le dispositif et analyse les moments de classe concernés, du point de vue des gestes de lecture et des gestes professionnels. Il discute ensuite la prise en compte d’un tel dispositif au titre de l’enroulement spiralaire, afin de questionner en retour la didactique du sujet lecteur sur les savoirs contextuels, la démarche d’enseignement et le guidage. The article questions the conception of literary reading as a “spiral coil” (Shawky-Milcent, 2014), in relation with a device that is a priori far removed from the approach of the reading subject, because of its object and the guidance it implies. In the Year 9/8th grade, the aim, the aim is to encourage a re-reading of Maupassant's short story “La Parure”, with regard to a legal intertext. After establishing the theoretical framework of two components of axiological reading, the article presents the device and analyses the class moments concerned, from the point of view of reading and professional gestures. Then, it discusses the consideration of such a device under spiral winding, in order to question in return the didactics of the reader subject on contextual knowledge, the teaching approach and guidance.

Educational processes take place in physical and digital places. To analyse educational processes, Learning Analytics (LA) enable data collection from the digital learning context. At the same time, to gain more insights, the LA data can be complemented with the data coming from physical spaces enabling Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA). To interpret this data, theoretical grounding or contextual information is needed. Learning designs (LDs) can be used for contextualisation, however, in authentic scenarios the availability of machine-readable LD is scarce. We argue that Classroom Observations (COs), traditionally used to understand educational processes taking place in physical space, can provide the missing context and complement the data from the co-located classrooms. This paper reports on a co-design case study from an authentic scenario that used CO to make sense of the digital traces. In this paper we posit that the development of MMLA approaches can benefit from co-design methodologies; through the involvement of the end-users (project managers) in the loop, we illustrate how these data sources can be systematically integrated and analysed to better understand the use of digital resources. Results indicate that CO can drive sense-making of LA data where predefined LD is not available. Furthermore, CO can support layered contextualisation depending on research design, rigour and systematic documentation/data collection efforts.Also, co-designing the MMLA solution with the end-users proved to be a useful approach.

http://journals.openedition.org/apliut/8547; International audience; When speaking of language, “authenticity” is almost always indissociable from the figure of the native speaker: native English speakers are seen as the unique holders of the ability to produce “genuine” English. In an effort to move past this harmful ideological positioning, this article sets out the case for another marker to be taken as a benchmark for linguistic authenticity: contextualisation. First, it is shown how contextualisation – the complex interplay between language and context – can be considered as a hallmark of authenticity. Following this, the creation of teaching and research materials is shown to engender decontextualization of linguistic data, leading to the loss of elements of contextualisation. Some theoretical and methodological remedies to this situation are explored. Finally, this conception of authenticity is shown to have benefits in terms of developing students’ communicative competence as well as moving beyond the exclusive “native speaker as authentic” ideological paradigm.; En ce qui concerne le langage, la notion d’« authenticité » est souvent indissociable du locuteur natif : le locuteur natif d’anglais est considéré comme le seul individu qui puisse produire de « vrais » exemples d’anglais oral. Dans le but d’aller au-delà de ce positionnement idéologique contreproductif, cet article met en avant un autre phénomène qui pourrait être considéré comme un marqueur d’authenticité linguistique : la contextualisation. Dans un premier temps, nous montrons en quoi la contextualisation – l’interaction complexe entre langage et contexte – peut être vue comme un repère d’authenticité. Ensuite nous démontrons en quoi l’élaboration de supports d’enseignement et de recherche peut créer une perte de certains éléments de contextualisation. Nous explorons ensuite quelques pistes théoriques et méthodologiques afin de résoudre ce problème. Enfin, nous montrons qu’une telle conception de l’authenticité pourrait aider sur le plan pédagogique, permettant également d’aller au-delà d’un positionnement idéologique restreignant au seul locuteur natif le statut de locuteur « authentique ».

In vocational education, students learn in different school-based and workplace-based learning environments and engage with different types of knowledge in these environments. Students are expected to integrate these experiences and make meaning of them in relation to their own professional knowledge base. This study focuses both on what types of knowledge students learn in these environments and how they integrate these different types of knowledge. Individual and group interviews were conducted with students, teachers and workplace supervisors in a vocational programme in the Netherlands. Results show that students recognise the importance of vocational knowledge learned in school-based learning environments while they are in the workplace and vice versa, and continuously contextualise knowledge to make it applicable for new circumstances. Also, students learn differently at school due to their experiences in the workplace.

This article explores how the socio-cultural contexts of a subsidiary shape the organisational identification articulated by its local employees (HCNs). This is relevant as companies globalise with greater socio-cultural distances between organisational units and their employees as a consequence. The analysis is based upon the study of an off-shore service centre in Bangalore that performs financial services for an MNC headquartered in Denmark. The identification with the MNC and its corporate culture expressed by local employees is conveyed as being connected to external self-enhancement (belonging to an esteemed organisation) as well as internal self-enhancement (feeling important within the organisation). The corporate culture is made sense of in the local Indian context and shaped by their particular characteristics as members of Bangalore’s international workforce. We argue that understanding and enhancing organisational identification requires careful consideration of the socio-cultural contexts as well as backgrounds of individuals and professional groups.

Toute action éducative doit nécessairement se déployer sur des niveaux d’intervention multiples : un niveau individuel, avec la prise de responsabilité de chaque participant ; un niveau institutionnel concernant les différents rapports aux pouvoir qui s’y instaurent ; un niveau socio-politique qui affecte le type de citoyen que l’on désire former, ses capacités et ses valeurs, ainsi que le type de société que l’on souhaite construire. Au cours de sa longue carrière de formateur et de penseur, Robert Galisson s’est engagé passionnément à chacun de ces niveaux, suivant le fil rouge de sa réflexion éthique. Ce souci s’est exprimé par une problématisation et un questionnement constants, par le refus des formules toutes faites, par ses positionnements courageux, par une recherche incessante d’autonomie et de transparence, par le respect de tous les acteurs du domaine éducatif, notamment de ceux qui œuvrent quotidiennement sur le terrain. Dans cette contribution, nous nous proposons de parcourir cet itinéraire réflexif que Robert Galisson a entamé à partir des années 80 et que depuis n’a plus jamais abandonné.

In 1994 Orlikowski and Gash articulated Technological Frames of Reference as a sys- tematic theoretical lens to examine technological developments in organisations. A decade later, in 2004, Davidson and Pai expressed concern that while the lens was widely cited in academic discourse, the incidence and adoption of the model as an analytical framework for socio-cognitive analysis and interpretation of Information Technology in organisations was very low. As Technology Frame Research becomes more meaningfully applicable with our ever increasing attachment towards technology, I present a case study with the aim of augmenting research in the field. By employing a qualitative methodological framework based on technological frames I eval- uate interpretations on the Internet embraced within a group of teachers before the implementation of the technology on campus. Emerging data suggests how appropriated traits and embedded inclinations towards a technology justify the predisposition of diverse interpretations by one person reminiscent to the context it is being articulated in.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Higher Education Research & Development on 16 May 2012, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07294360.2011.634382., Academic literacies research has been identified as an emerging but significant field in higher education. This article extends the discussions around methodology in academic literacies research by drawing on the current text and context debates in sociolinguistics and linguistic ethnography. It uses illustrations from a recent academic literacies research project to reflect on methodology and to emphasise the importance of a prolonged engagement with participants' writing practices and experiences as well as the collection and analysis of a range of types of data to allow the researcher to become more familiar with the context. Methods such as allowing students to interpret their own writing, classroom observation and students' written literacy histories gave the researcher real insights into the way students made connections to their own familiar contexts in order to learn. The research also highlighted the manner in which communication between students and teaching staff can break down because teachers misinterpret student utterances when they do not understand or know the contexts that the students are drawing on. At the same time, however, the researcher sounds some caution about the use of dialogue in ethnographic methodologies because communication is a two-way process and allocation of linguistic resources has been unequal. Therefore, where students' resources do not match the context, they may struggle to communicate with the interviewer and to interpret their written texts. In these cases, interviewees who are first language speakers from privileged schooling backgrounds may be able to contextualise and interpret their writing more fully than interviewees who are speakers of English as a second or foreign language and who come from poorer rural schools.

In 2009, the regional education authority of Reunion Island counts forty seven teachers holding the capacitation allowing them to officially teach «Regional Language and Culture » . The only existing implement for so doing in the area is the few bilingual classes. Only ten primary school teachers practice in experimental bilingual classes on a total of 6434 teachers of the first degree, that is 0.1 % of the total number of the primary school teachers. In spite of the pompous term « capacitation to Regional Language and Culture», the culture is factually and pedagogically absent from the syllabus. Never have the Regional education authority evoked the question of the Reunion Island culture, or the possibility of a contextualisation of the teaching. The present paper lies on observations and commitments made twenty years ago. It tries to show that without contextualising the teaching, without real consideration for the Reunion Island culture, without training of the teachers in this culture, without an educational application of the knowledge, " bilingual classes ", the bilingual classes, whose number is ridiculous, are doomed to, at best, hold the role of glass window, giving the institution good consciousness. Many teachers and inspectons as well, say, that french department is not different from the department in Metropolitan France, whereas in fact, the problem is that of teachers’ training., L’académie de La Réunion compte en 2009, quarante-sept enseignants possédant l’habilitation Langue et Culture régionale. Outre quelques enseignants itinérants, le seul dispositif présent dans l’Académie est celui des classes bilingues et seuls dix professeurs des écoles exercent en classes bilingues expérimentales sur un total de 6434 enseignants du premier degré, soit 0,1% de l’effectif des professeurs des écoles. Malgré le terme pompeux d’habilitation Langue ET Culture régionale, dans les faits et dans la pédagogie, la culture est absente. À aucun moment, n’est évoquée, dans l’Académie, la question d’une quelconque prise en compte de la culture réunionnaise, la possibilité d’une contextualisation de l’enseignement. Cet article s’appuie sur des observations et des engagements, notamment pédagogiques, vieux de vingt années. Il tente de montrer que sans contextualisation de l’enseignement, sans réelle prise en compte de la culture réunionnaise, sans formation des enseignants à cette culture, sans opérationnalisation des connaissances transmises, les « classes bilingues », au nombre anecdotique, n’ont, au mieux, qu’un rôle de vitrine, de bonne conscience institutionnelle dans un département dont, faute de formation, beaucoup, enseignants, comme membres des corps d’inspection, disent qu’il n’est pas différent d’un département métropolitain.

Se analizan las prácticas de contextualización de tres pequeños grupos de alumnado de máster durante la realización de una indagación en el laboratorio que supone la participación en prácticas científicas. El objetivo es examinar los desafíos planteados por una actividad abierta, a través del análisis del proceso de contextualización, es decir de conexión del conocimiento teórico relevante al contexto (cómo evitar el oscurecimiento en las manzanas cortadas), transformándolo en decisiones y acciones prácticas. Los resultados indican las dificultades de los participantes para movilizar los conocimientos teóricos relevantes y articularlos con los conocimientos prácticos. Se discuten implicaciones para el diseño de actividades abiertas que pretendan la inmersión en prácticas científicas, y para planificar el andamiaje. S'analitzen les pràctiques de contextualització de tres petits grups d'alumnat de màster durant la realització d'una indagació en el laboratori que suposa la participació en pràctiques científiques. L'objectiu és examinar els desafiaments plantejats per una activitat oberta, a través de l'anàlisi del procés de contextualització, és a dir de connexió del coneixement teòric rellevant al context (com evitar l'enfosquiment en les pomes tallades), transformant-ho en decisions i accions pràctiques. Els resultats indiquen les dificultats dels participants per mobilitzar els coneixements teòrics rellevants i articular-los amb els coneixements pràctics. Es discuteixen implicacions per al disseny d'activitats obertes que pretenguin la immersió en pràctiques científiques, i per planificar el l'andamiatge. This paper analyses the contextualising practices of three small groups of master students engaged in an inquiry-based laboratory task, involving their participation in scientific practices. The objective is to examine the challenges involved in the process of contextualisation, in other words the process of connecting relevant theoretical knowledge to the context of an open task (to find a way to avoid browning in sliced apples), and transforming it into decisions and practical actions. The results show that participants had difficulties mobilising relevant theoretical knowledge and articulating it to practical actions. We discuss the implications, for the design of open tasks aimed at immersion in scientific practices and for planning adequate scaffolding.

Ce court article, qui condense la matière de plusieurs autres, participe des débats actuels en didactique des langues sur les contextes, leur complexité et leur inscription dans l'histoire. La contextualisation entendue comme processus inclut une multiplicité de déterminations qui doivent être traitées pour elles-mêmes et globalement. This short article, which condenses the material of several others, contributes to the current debates on language didactic concerning contexts, their complexity and their inclusion in history. Contextualization understood as a process includes multiple determinations that must be addressed apart and globally.

Les programmes d’apprentissage du français scientifique ou de ce que l’on appelle les « technolectes », sont souvent justifiés pour permettre la compréhension d’un lexique spécialisé réputé précis, sans ambiguïté et monosémique. Il apparaît au contraire que les termes scientifiques du discours mathématique notamment, lorsqu’ils sont issus du langage courant, présentent aussi un caractère ambigu dont la compréhension relève d’une approche méthodologique particulière. Le lexique courant prend une dimension spécifique dans le langage mathématique en structurant le déroulement discursif de la démonstration. L’identification de son rôle induit ainsi une démarche facilitant la compréhension des textes mathématiques. The training programs of scientific French or what one calls “technolectes”, are generally justified by the comprehension of specialized words regarded as accurate, without ambiguity and monosemantic. It appears on the contrary that scientific terms, in particular from mathematical speech, when they result from the usual language, present also an ambiguous character whose comprehension requires a particular methodological approach. These usual words take up a specific dimension in the mathematical language by structuring the discursive course of the demonstration. Thus, identifying their role requires a method that facilitates access to mathematical texts.

In their daily practice, teachers refer to "normative models" of professionality which built up during the disruption of the educational system. Research in the field has attempted to find out the organizing principles of junior high school teachers' representations concerning unexpected events in class and how to manage them and to understand the process implemented in the "do with it" attitude they develop. The results have established that the professional background, the length of service (in the profession and in the school), and the psychosocial and professional involvement created differencies between these representations, which themselves bore the mark of the normative models of professionalty mentioned before. This paper presents a "model of intelligibility" conceived as a tool allowing the analysis of discursive practices., Les professeurs se réfèrent, dans leur pratique quotidienne, à des « modèles normatifs » de professionnalité, qui se sont constitués durant les bouleversements du système éducatif. La recherche sur le terrain s'est attachée à repérer les principes organisateurs des représentations des enseignants de collège concernant l'imprévu en classe et sa gestion, et à comprendre les processus à l'œuvre dans le « faire avec » qu'ils développent. Les résultats ont établi que le contexte professionnel, l'ancienneté (professionnelle et dans le collège) et l'implication (psychosociale et professionnelle) différenciaient les représentations, et que celles-ci portaient la marque des modèles normatifs de professionnalité évoqués. L'article présente un « modèle d'intelligibilité » construit comme outil de lecture des pratiques discursives., Benaïoun-Ramirez Nicole. Imprévus et construction de la professionnalité enseignante. In: Recherche & Formation, N°40, 2002. Les savoirs entre pratique, formation et recherche, sous la direction de Annette Gonnin-Bolo. pp. 121-139.

With a focus on the situated support of informal and non-formal learning scenarios in ubiquitous learning environments, the presented paper outlines the authors' vision of ambient learning displays – enabling learners to view, access, and interact with contextualised digital content presented in an ambient way. The vision is based on a detailed exploration of the characteristics of ubiquitous learning and a deduction of informational, interactional, and instructional aspects to focus on. Towards the vision essential research questions and objectives as well as a conceptual framework that acquires, channels, and delivers the information framed in the learning process are presented. To deliver scientific insights into the authentic learning support in informal and non-formal learning situations and to provide suggestions for the future design of ambient systems for learning the paper concludes with a research agenda proposing a research project including a discussion of related issues and challenges.

This paper will give an example of a pedagogical approach taken in integrating nanotechnology into a chemistry degree course. In recent years nanotechnology has widely become part of the course content for undergraduate chemistry and physics degree curriculum. How contextualised the delivery of the subject matter may vary. The role of contextualisation of nanotechnology in the delivery of the content is the main focus of this paper, as to date in Ireland and many other countries nanotechnology has not been integrated into many chemistry degree courses but is slowly becoming the case. An evaluative methodology of the pedagogical approach for two introductory nanotechnology courses has been chosen for this study. Pre and post-course testing at a 4th year level and 2nd year level have been carried out and the feedback summarised. The role of visualisation and contextualisation (linking research and industrial applications to the area) will be discussed in relation to learning and teaching nanotechnology. The benefits of using nanochemistry and nanotechnology can be highlighted and this may be linked to an examination of existing applications in everyday life. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate some ideas for academics who may find themselves faced with teaching nanotechnology in the near future.

Este artículo presenta una investigación llevada a cabo con noventa estudiantes de inglés como segunda lengua con el fin de medir la incidencia de la contextualización a través del título como estrategia metodológica previa a la lectura de textos auténticos en segundas lenguas. En primer lugar se revisa la literatura existente y en particular la Teoría del Esquema, la cual pone de manifiesto la efectividad de dicha estrategia. Posteriormente, tras la descripción detallada de las características y el diseño del experimento, se exponen los resultados obtenidos; éstos corroboran la existencia de una mejora significativa en la comprensión del texto en presencia del título original, que resulta, por tanto, un elemento activador de los esquemas necesarios para la comprensión. La traducción del título al español, sin embargo, no supone un incremento significativo de la comprensión. Por último, se extraen conclusiones, se consideran las posibles implicaciones metodológicas y se sugieren posibles vías de continuación de la investigación. Palabras clave: habilidades lectoras, aprendizaje de segundas lenguas, inglés como segunda lengua, Teoría del Esquema, contextualización., This article presents an experiment carried out with ninety students of English as a second language in order to measure the impact of contextualising through the title as a methodological strategy prior to reading in the comprehension of authentic texts in second languages. Firstly, we revise the existing literature and, in particular, the Schema Theory, which highlights the effectiveness of such strategy. Then, after a detailed description of the characteristics and design of the experiment, we present the results obtained; these corroborate the existence of a significant improvement in the comprehension of the text when the original title is present, thus proving that the title activates the squemata necessary for comprehension. Translating the title into Spanish does not lead to a significant increase in comprehension, though. Finally, we draw conclusions, consider the possible methodological implications and suggest possible further research.

Conole, Evans and Simms, the authors of Chapter 13, Use and Reuse of Digital Images in Teaching and Learning, have provided a coherent and well structured description of the issues involved in use of digital imagery in education. The authors have done a good job of describing the aspects of granularity and context and how they relate to utilization of images in education. Editors: Allison Littlejohn and Simon Buckingham Shum.

This is an era marked by rapid developments in three different educational arenas -- access, lifelong learning and e-learning. In both developed and developing countries there is a growing demand for access to education... Alongside this growing demand for access, increased numbers of adults are returning to colleges and universities for additional education and training (CIHE, 2002). Lifelong learning has come of age, brought about by changes in attitudes to learning and in employment patterns, where jobs and careers are recast many times during a lifespan. Permeating and supporting these first two developments, in access and lifelong learning, are developments in information and communication technologies (ICT). New technologies are beginning to transform how higher education is organized and delivered both on campus and at a distance. E-learning affords new opportunities to increase flexibility in time and location of study, in forms of communication (for example, asynchronous discussions) and types of interaction... Although e-learning has the potential to provide the kinds of flexibility required by wider access and lifelong learning there are some major obstacles. On the one hand, wider access and lifelong learning require vast increases in specially designed course materials to satisfy the greater range of demands for learning. On the other hand, creating the digital resources necessary for online course delivery requires considerable investment, a factor that makes resource development only viable for courses with large student numbers or sizeable budgets. In order to address this difficulty, numerous national and international initiatives have been funded to investigate ways in which digital learning resources might be developed, shared and reused by teachers and learners around the world (so as to benefit from economies of scale). Behind these initiatives lies a vision of a future in which reusable resources (or 'learning objects' as they are called) could comprise a new currency of exchange within a learning economy. Learning objects, produced by publishers, teachers, support staff and students themselves, would be stored in digital repositories, where they could be easily accessed, recombined and reused within online courses. However, despite this vision, the idea of reusing electronic resources is more complex than the object economy scenario, outlined above, may suggest. The next section identifies seven issues associated with the reuse and sharing of resources. These sections focus on educational design, the need for standards, and on the culture and organization that would be necessary in institutions (and across institutions) if reuse were to become a reality. Editors: Allison Littlejohn (Centre for Academic Practice, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1QE) Reviewers: Allison Littlejohn & Simon Buckingham Shum Notes: Reprinted with permission from: Reusing Online Resources: A Sustainable Approach to eLearning, (Ed.) Allison Littlejohn. Kogan Page, London. ISBN 0749439491.

JIME Special Issue on Reusing Online Resources Commentary and Debate on: Reusing Online Resources: A Sustainable Approach to eLearning Edited by Allison Littlejohn, Kogan Page, London. ISBN: 0749439491 [www.reusing.info] Welcome to the Journal of Interactive Media in Education, and this Special Issue of JIME, which is 'reusing' the Reusing Online Resources book as the point of departure for online discussion. [Enter Special Issue]. It is interesting to consider how much activity has grown since JIME's Special Issue on Educational Authoring Tools and the Educational Object Economy in 1998. There is clearly a broader consensus on standards emerging, but what progress has there been on the fundamental ideas and infrastructure? This book and special issue are therefore a timely milestone to reflect. You will find expert contributions, grounded in technical and pedagogical experience, critiquing and refining the assumptions behind the idea of reusable learning resources. The issue is organised as follows: the book's opening chapter by the editor, introducing seven key issues for reusable resources; invited introductions to the book's four sections - 'theory, design, resource and strategy perspectives' - by leading educational technologists; an invited commentary on each chapter written for this Special Issue to open critical discussion... ...which can continue in the discussion area for each chapter, where authors, commentators and the wider community are invited to post their own views on the book and commentaries. Click on the Comment Bubble by each chapter heading to view all comments on it, or add your own.We hope that you find this a valuable companion to the book, and welcome your participation in advancing the debate in this field, one which is seeing much activity, but also provoking strong reactions. Allison Littlejohn & Simon Buckingham Shum Special Issue Editors Notes: Reprinted with permission from: 'Reusing Online Resources: A Sustainable Approach to eLearning', (Ed.) Allison Littlejohn. Kogan Page, London. ISBN 0749439491.